Specsavers has found another Should’ve gone to Specsavers opportunity to seize. This time in New Zealand – and it’s an unplanned tribute to the first ever ad in the 23 year-long campaign, created by Graham Daldry.  

This time the “media buyer”, EssenceMediacom, had a Should’ve gone to Specsavers moment due to poor eyesight when securing the billboard space for the latest ad campaign. Yes, it is in one New Zealand’s busiest streets, Ponsonby Road in Auckland, but only a fraction of the large-scale billboard is visible to passers-by after a neighbouring building was erected a few years ago.

Although the advertising space has existed for over a decade, the sizable OOH billboard has features the same old ad since next door built out and up, creating a bit of a joke amongst locals and the wider creative industry.

“While the numbers of potential foot traffic may have looked good on paper, the “media buyer” obviously didn’t see just how much of the ad they’d actually be viewing,” stated Anri McHugh, head of marketing – awareness & consideration, Specsavers ANZ.

The new billboard follows the success of previous OOH campaigns that have received a lot of attention from the public who were eager to notify the brand of the internally-intended slip ups.

“This latest campaign continues our approach to simple yet effective creative, bringing to life our brand tagline in a fun and humorous way. It’s a gentle reminder to Kiwis of all ages to look after their eye health while also making them smile. The campaign illustrates that no matter what type of work you do, attention to detail and eyesight can make a big difference,” McHugh added.

Chloe Leuschke, managing partner, Mango Communications Aotearoa, commented, “After seeing all the great global creative work for the famous Should’ve brand tagline, it’s exciting to bring the concept to Aotearoa. We knew this billboard would be perfect for the concept and are excited to see it come to life.”

The billboard can be partially viewed in passing, or in full on foot, at 132 Ponsonby Road from now until end-June 2025.